Processing connector



March 27, 1956 H. J. HANSEN PROCESSING CONNECTOR Filed March 7, 1955 &

INVEN TOR.

S @W S N M FR O H T MN m mu AV. 1 A V M limited States Patent PROCESSINGCONNECTOR Howard J. Hansen, Bay Village, Ohio, assignor to The HansenManufacturing Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of OhioApplication March 7, 1955, Serial No. 492,637 3 Claims. (Cl. 137-614)This invention relates to improvements in processing connectors, that isto say connectors used for controlling the flow of fluid in one or bothdirections during the filling or opening of a chamber or system to beprocessed, one use of the invention being in the preparation of orrepreparation of electric refrigerators for use.

In the processing of a refrigerator it is necessary to do severalthings. First, the piping system should be tested by subjecting it toconsiderable air pressure, 250 lbs. for example, in order to make surethat there are no leaks in the system. Then the air should be exhaustedas completely as possible, and after that the refrigerating gas shouldbe permitted to enter the system and fill the vacuum. At some stage inthe procedure, preferably directly after the testing step is completed,the system should be dried out, this being accomplished for example bypassing hot air through the system.

It is important to conserve power in the operation of exhausting airfrom the piping system, and the connector of this invention assistsmaterially in the conservation of power. The processing connector ispreferably in two parts which may be rapidly coupled or uncoupled, onepart being a valved plug permanently installed in the refrigerator, theother part being a removable cylindrical part adapted to receive an airconnection, a vacuum connection or a gaseous refrigerant connection, butthis removable part includes an axially movable wrench that may beemployed to actuate the valve in the plug.

The coupling together of the two parts of the processing connector opensa valve in the movable part. With the two parts coupled and the screwvalve in the plug open a vacuum pump may be attached to'the movable partand the air in the system exhausted through the two open valves. Thenthe screw valve may be closed by the wrench without uncoupling theparts, after which the pump may be disconnected and the supply line forrefrigerant connected. Then the screw valve may be opened by the wrenchand the refrigerant permitted to enter and fill the piping system of therefrigerator. When the system is filled with refrigerant, the wrench maybe operated in the opposite direction to close the plug passage and therefrigerator will be ready for use.

One of the objects of the invention therefore is the provision of aconnector by means of which the processing steps above referred to maybe carried out conveniently, promptly and without loss of vacuum orpressure during a change in connections.

Other objects and features of novelty will appear as I proceed with thedescription of that embodiment of the invention which, for the purposesof the present application, I have illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of myprocessing connector, both valves being open;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the removable part of the connector, showingthe valve in that part closed;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the plug with the screw valvetherein closed, and

2,739,612 Patented Mar. 27, 1956 Fig. 4 is a cross sectional detail viewon a larger scale, the view being taken substantially on the line 4--4of Fig. 3.

The connector of the present invention embodies two parts shownseparately in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, which parts are adapted tobe coupled together when the device is in active use, the act ofcoupling them serving to open the valve in the removable part. The plugpart of the connector, shown at 10, is permanently connected with achamber or system to be serviced, for example the piping of an electricrefrigerator. This plug has an annular projection 11 and an annularrecess 12. It is provided with an axial passage 13 which merges withanother axial passage 14 of somewhat larger diameter, the juncture ofthe two passages forming a valve seat 15.

The rear end of passage 14 is threaded as indicated at 16 to receive athreaded valve piece 17 which is adapted to close the valve seat 15. Therear end of valve piece 17 is enlarged and threaded to screw into thethreaded passage 16. At its rear extremity it has a splined socket 18which connects with a short axial passage 19 terminating in a transversepassage 20. The rear end of passage 16 is therefore connected at alltimes with the forward end of that passage through the passages 18, 19and 20.

The female part of the connector, shown in Fig. 2, comprises a cylinder22 with a laterally extending nipple 23 intended for connection with aflexible hose, not shown, leading to a pressure pump or a vacuum pump orto a supply of any fluid material which it may be desired to deliver orwithdrawn through the connector. The forward end of the cylinder 22 isadapted to receive the reduced rear end of plug 10, the cylinderincluding detent balls 24 that are adapted to take into the annulargroove 12 of the plug. In order that the two parts of the coupling maymove relatively into coupled relation, a sleeve 25 is mounted exteriorlyon the cylinder, adapted to be slid to the right against the operationof spring 26, from the position shown, in order that reliefs 27 in thesleeve may be disposed around the balls 24 to permit the latter to rideover annular projection 11 and into the groove 12, after which thesleeve may be permitted to return to its normal position, holding theballs 24 inwardly and looking the coupling members together. Quickdetachable couplings of this general character are old in the art, asfor example in Hansen Patent 2,548,528. It may be observed also that aspring ring lock may be substituted for the detent balls illustratedherein.

When the coupling is assembled the nose at the rear of plug 10 strikesagainst and shifts to the right the reduced forward end of a cylindricalpiston 29. This piston is normally urged to the left against an annularstop 30 by a coil spring 31 in the rear end of the cylinder, the springyielding when the parts are moved into the coupled relation illustratedin Fig. l. The reduced forward end of the piston has one or more ports32 therethrough. When the piston is pushed back as in Fig. 1 these portsbring the interior of the piston into communication with the passage 33in nipple 23.

A wrench 35 with a shaft 36 round in cross section is projected througha round hole in the back end of cylinder 22 and into the bore of hollowpiston 29. Its forward end is splined as indicated at 37, the splinesbeing finished to fit the splined socket 18 in the screw valve 19.Spring 38 surrounding shaft 36 tends to withdraw the wrench to theposition indicated in the drawing, its movement in that direction beinglimited by a snap ring 39 mounted in a groove 40 in the wrench andcontacting the surface of an end cap 41 of the cylinder 22. When thecoupling is made, as in Fig. 1, the operator may push the wrench 35forwardly until the splines 37 enter the splined socket 18, after whichthe wrench may be turned by its handle 42 to screw the valve piece 17 inthe plug either toward or away from its seat 15.

O-rings 44, 45, 46 and 47 or other suitable ring packings may be used toseal the slide joints of the device against fluid leakage.

When servicing a refrigerator, either at the time of manufacture or atsome later time, the operator assembles the movable part 22 of theconnector upon the fixed plug 10. He can then attach a pressure line tothe nipple 23, unscrew the valve piece 17 and let compressed air enterthe pipe system of the refrigerator. He can then attach a gauge tonipple '23 to test the system against leakage. Thereafter he candisconnect the pressure line and let the exhaust enter the atmosphere.Next he can attach a vacuum line to the nipple 23 and operate a pump toexhaust the air from the system. When the exhausting step has beencarried as far as possible the operator advances the wrench 35 and turnsit to close the valve piece 17 against its seat 15. He can thendisconnect the vacuum pump line from the nipple and connect therefrigerating fluid line thereto. Now he pushes the wrench forward andturns it to withdraw valve piece 17 from its seat, whereupon the vacuumin the system will cause'the gaseous refrigerant to enter and fill thesystem. The operator thereupon closes the valve 17, 15 and therefrigerator is ready for use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a processing connector, a cylinder with a lateral port, acylindrical piston slidable in said cylinder having a lateral portadapted to register with said first named port, spring means for biasingsaid piston to close said first named port, a plug having an axialpassage therethrough, quick connective means for joining said cylinderand plug and simultaneously shifting said piston to position to opensaid lateral port against the action of said spring means, a screw valvein said plug coaxial with said passage, and a Wrench adapted to engagesaid screw valve for turning it to open or closed position, said wrenchbeing movable slidably and rotatably in said cylindrical piston.

2. A processing connector substantially as defined in claim 1, whereinsaid-quick connective means comprises detent means biased towardposition to lock said cylinder and plug together and to maintain saidcylinder port in open position, and means for releasing said detentmeans whereby the cylinder and plug may be separated and said pistonreturned to cover the lateral port of said cylinder.

3. A processing connector substantially as defined in claim 1, whereinsaid screw plug is provided with internal splines and said wrench withinterfitting external splines, whereby the wrench may be advancedaxially to operative position and then turned to screw or unscrew saidscrew valve to close or open said axial passage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS865,713 Lamouroux Sept. 10, 1907 1,073,719 'Iimmer Sept. 23, 19132,638,914 Flaith May 19, 1953

